Method and apparatus for the production of cleaning devices



April 9, 1963 A. B. SHOCKLEY ETAL 3,084,778

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CLEANING DEVICES Original Filed Feb. 5, 1960 INVENTORS ALVIN SHOCKLEY JAMES TE%\ ATTORNEY nited States Patent 3,084,778 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRQDUC- TION 0F CLEANING DEVICES Alvin B. Shockley, Baron, and James Teng, Parma, Ohio, assignors to Nylonge Corporation, a corporation of Dhio Original application Feb. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 6,931, new Patent No. 3,048,888, dated Aug. 14, 1962. Divided and this application Dec. 24), 1961, Ser. No. 160,775

2 Claims. (Cl. 193-2) The present invention relates generally to improvements in equipment for the manufacture of artificial sponge and it relates more particularly to an improved hopper associated with an apparatus for the continuous coagulation and regeneration of a viscose sponge form ing mass. This application is a divisional application of the copending US. patent application, Serial No. 6,931, filed February 5, 1960, now Patent No. 3,048,888, August 14, 1962.

In the manufacture of artificial regenerated cellulose sponge by the viscose process, a relatively green viscose of high viscosity is produced in the conventional manner and is then admixed with reinforcing fibers such as cut hemp or the like, and a granular pore forming material such as sodium sulphate decahydr-ate. The resulting sponge forming mass is thereafter deposited in large molds or forms in various manners and the viscose coagulated, the cellulose regenerated and the pore forming material leached out to produce a block of the artificial sponge material which is then washed, bleached, plasticized and otherwise treated, dried and cut to the desired shapes. Many methods have been employed to eflect the coagulation and regeneration steps including the immersion of the sponge mass containing molds in a hot salt solution or an acid bath, heating the sponge mass in an autoclave or by passing an electric current therethrough. These various coagulation processes are usually of a batch nature and are highly time and labor consuming, expensive and often difiicult to control. Many continuous viscose sponge coagulating processes have been proposed but none of these have proven satisfiactory and they are generally limited to masses of small cross-section and possess numerous other drawbacks and disadvantages.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for the production of artificial regenerated cellulose sponge.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the above nature characterized by its ruggedness, simplicity, ease of operation and the uniformity and high quality of the product produced therewith.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an improved apparatus embodying the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 44 in FIGURE .1.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invent-ion, there is provided a continuous coagulation apparatus with which the present improved hopper 56 is associated. The apparatus includes a conveyor belt 34 formed of cord reinforced rubber or other electrically insulating flexible material is engaged and driven by and extends between the drums 14 and 17 mounted on driven shafts 16 and 18. The upper advance flight of the belt 34 traverses a trailing downwardly inclined run 36 from the upper edge of the drum 14 to the base 26 of a longitudinally extending 3,084,778 Patented Apr. 9, 1963 Uce trough 13, a horizontal run 37 along the trough base 26 and an upwardly inclined leading run 35 to the upper edge of the drum 17. The belt 34 traverses a horizontal return run between the lower edges of the drums 14 and 17.

The electrode system includes a pair of longitudinally inwardly facing track defining metal channels 39 mounted in the upper edges of the trough side walls 24 and extending to points short of the side wall ends and terminating in upwardly inclined directing strips. Suitably journalled above the trough 13 adjacent to opposite ends thereof are a pair of parallel transverse shafts 40 the opposite sections of which are electrically separated by one or more insulator couplings. The leading shafit 40 has affixed thereto a sprocket wheel 42 which is coupled by way of a sprocket chain and a variable speed reducing unit to a drive motor. Mounted on and adjacent to opposite ends of each of the shafts 40 are sprocket wheels 44, each set of longitudinally spaced sprocket Wheels 44 being substantially coplanar with a corresponding track 39. Engaged and driven by each set of sprocket wheels 44 is a roller carrying sprocket chain 46 having an upper horizontal return run and an advance run including a trailing downwardly inclined flight from the sprocket 44 to the track 39, a horizontal flight along the track 39 and an upwardly inclined leading flight from the track 39 to the leading sprocket wheel 44.

Secured to each link of the sprocket chain 46 is an electrode defining substantially rectangular metal plate 52 which is coplanar with the corresponding supporting link. The electrodes 52 depend from the links which register with the track 39 and extend substantially to the trough base 26. The outer faces of the electrodes 52 slide along metal plates located along the sides of the trough 13 and the adjacent side vertical edges of successive electrodes are closely spaced or contiguous. The sprocket chains 46 and hence the electrodes 52 are driven at a linear speed slightly greater than the linear rate of advance of the conveyor belt 34.

In order to deposit the sponge forming mass into the trough 13 in a uniformly flowing oriented state there is located in the trough 13 adjacent its feed end a forwardly directed hopper 56. The width of the hopper 56 is slightly less than that of the trough 13 in which it is nested and includes a rear vertical wall 57 projecting from a point above the trough base 26 to a point above the trough 13. The hopper side walls include upper rectangular sections 58 located above the trough l3 and defining with a front wall 59 and rear wall 57 a vertical feed chute 65. The lower sections 66 of the hopper side walls project forwardly of the chute 6S and include a horizontal top edge supporting a .top wall 61 and lower trailing edges to which is fastened a horizontal bottom Wall 63 located above the trough base 26 and projecting forwardly of the chute 65. The upper leading edges of side walls 66 are vertical and are connected by a vertical front wall 64, the lower ends of the leading edges joining the bottom wall 63 by downward-1y rearwardly inclined edges 66.

Supported between the side wall sections 60 are a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal baflle plates 67 which are horizontal offset, the upper plates 67 being located at successively more forward and overlapping position. The leading side edges 68 of the plate 67 com verge to tapered transverse leading edges 70 which lie along a plane parallel to the plane of the wall edges 66. Supported by the side wall sections 68 and depending from the inclined edges 66 are a plurality of depending transversely extending guide plates 69 having horizontal bottom edges lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the edges 66.

The sponge forming mass is introduced into the chute 65, fiows downwardly and then forwardly along the direction of the btafiies 67 and thence downwardly as guided by plates 59 Where it is deposited upon the belt 34. It should be noted that the head on the sponge forming mass, its viscosity, the advancing speed of the belt 34 and the parameters of the hopper 56 are such that the mass is dnawn at a slightly greater speed than its normal rate of flow through the hopper whereby to inhibit any turbulence or disturbance of the orientation of mass deposited into the trough. It should also be noted that by reason of the configuration of the baffles 67 there is a uniform retardation of the mass flow in the hopper to insure the uniform and oriented flow of the mass therethrough. The

lower edges of the plates 69 serve as doctor edges to further maintain a uniform mass orientation.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made Without departing from the spirit thereof.

We claim:

1. A mass orienting hopper including a horizontally extending duot terminating in a downwardly forwardly inclined discharge opening and provided at its trailing end with a feed opening and a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending bafile plates disposed in said duct and terminating in longitudinally offset leading edges, the leading portions of said bafile plates being of lesser width than the trailing portions thereof and the leading edges of successively higher baille plates being progressively more forward.

2. A mass orienting hopper including a horizontally extending duet terminating in a downwardly forwardly inclined dischange opening and provided at its trailing end with a feed opening, a plurality of transverse plates depending from said discharge opening and terminating at diiierent levels, and a plurality of veitioally spaced horizontally extending baffie plates disposed in said duct and terminating in longitudinally offset leading edges, the leading edges of successively higher baiile plates being progressively more forward.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,695,272 Christian Dec. 18, 1928 1,791,677 MacMichael Feb. 10, 1931 2,649,224 Bardet Aug. 18, 1953 2,983,362 Grist May 9, 1961 

1. A MASS ORIENTING HOPPER INCLUDING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING DUCT TERMINATING IN A DOWNWARDLY FORWARDLY INCLINED DISCHARGE OPENING AND PROVIDED AT ITS TRAILING END WITH A FEED OPENING AND A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING BAFFLE PLATES DISPOSED IN SAID DUCT AND TERMINATING IN LONGITUDINALLY OFFSET LEADING EDGES, THE LEADING PORTIONS OF SAID BAFFLE PLATES BEING OF LESSER WIDTH THAN THE TRAILING PORTIONS THEREOF AND THE LEADING EDGES OF SUCCESSIVELY HIGHER BAFFLE PLATES BEING PROGRESSIVELY MORE FORWARD. 